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Full Download PDF of The Theatre Experience 13th Edition by Edwin Wilson (Ebook PDF) All Chapter
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Contents in Brief
PART 3 Setting the Stage: The Playwright and the Play 120
6 Creating the World of the Play 125
7 Dramatic Structure and Dramatic Characters 143
8 Theatrical Genres 169
vii
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Contents
PART 1
The Audience 2
Chapter 1 The Audience: Its Role and Imagination 7
The Contrast between Theatre and Film 9
Theatre Is Transitory and Immediate 10
Human Beings—The Focus of Theatre 10
The Chemistry of the Performer-Audience Contact 11
Theatre as a Group Experience 11
Psychology of Groups 11
How Audience Composition Aff ects the Theatre Experience 12
The Separate Roles of Performers and Spectators 14
How Should the Audience Be Involved? 14
Audience Participation through Direct Action 15
The Imagination of the Audience 16
Tools of the Imagination: Symbol and Metaphor 17
The “Reality” of the Imagination 20
The Imaginary Worlds of Theatre 20
Realism and Nonrealism 20
Distinguishing Stage Reality from Fact 22
Summary 24
ix
Alternative Theatre: Off -Broadway and Elsewhere 35
Young People’s and Children’s Theatre 36
College and University Theatre 36
Community and Amateur Theatre 37
The Critic, the Reviewer, and the Blogger 37
The Critic/Reviewer 37
Preparation for Criticism 38
Fact and Opinion in Criticism 38
Critical Criteria 40
The Dramaturg or Literary Manager 41
The Audience’s Relation to Criticism 41
The Audience’s Independent Judgment 41
Summary 42
PART 2
The Performers and the Director 66
Chapter 4 Acting 71
Acting in Everyday Life 71
Social Roles 71
Personal Roles 72
Acting in Life versus Acting on Stage 72
Three Challenges of Acting 73
Making Characters Believable 73
Physical Acting: Voice and Body 80
The Actor’s Instrument: Voice and Body 81
Training for Special Forms of Theatre 85
Synthesis and Integration 86
Judging Performances 89
Summary 92
x Contents
Chapter 5 The Director and the Producer 95
The Theatre Director 95
The Traditional Director 96
The Director and the Script 96
The Director and the Dramaturg 101
The Auteur Director and the Postmodern Director 103
The Auteur Director 103
The Postmodern Director 104
The Director and the Production: The Physical Production 105
The Director’s Work with the Performers 106
Casting 106
Rehearsals 106
The Director as the Audience’s Eye 107
Movement, Pace, and Rhythm 108
Technical Rehearsal 109
Dress Rehearsal 109
Previews 110
The Director’s Power and Responsibility 111
The Audience’s View 112
The Producer or Managing Director 113
The Commercial Producer 113
Noncommercial Theatres 115
Completing the Picture: Playwright, Director, and Producer 117
Summary 117
PART 3
The Playwright and the Play 120
Chapter 6 Creating the World of the Play 125
The Subject and Verb of Drama: People and Action 126
Structural Conventions: The Rules of the Game 127
Limited Space 128
Limited Time 129
Strongly Opposed Forces 129
A Balance of Forces 130
Incentive and Motivation 131
Creating Structure 132
Plot versus Story 132
The Opening Scene 132
Obstacles and Complications 133
Crisis and Climax 133
Point of View 134
The Dramatist’s Point of View 136
Society’s Point of View 137
Summary 140
Contents xi
Chapter 7 Dramatic Structure and
Dramatic Characters 143
Dramatic Structure 143
Characteristics of Climactic Structure 143
Characteristics of Episodic Structure 145
Combinations of Climactic and Episodic Form 150
Rituals as Dramatic Structure 151
Patterns as Dramatic Structure 152
Serial Structure 152
Structure in Experimental and Avant-Garde Theatre 152
Structure in Musical Theatre 154
Dramatic Characters 155
Extraordinary Characters 155
Representative or Quintessential Characters 158
Stock Characters 160
Minor Characters 162
A Narrator or Chorus 162
Nonhuman Characters 163
The Audience and Character Types 164
Juxtaposition of Characters 164
Orchestration of Characters 165
Summary 166
xii Contents
PART 4
The Designers 194
Chapter 9 Scenery 199
The Audience’s View 199
The Scene Designer 200
A Brief History of Stage Design 201
Scenic Design Today 201
The Scene Designer’s Objectives 202
Elements of Scene Design 208
The Process of Scene Design: Steps in the Design Process 214
The Scene Designer’s Collaborators and the Production Process 216
Designing a Total Environment 218
Summary 219
Contents xiii
PART 5
The Theatre Today 262
Chapter 12 Musical Theatre 267
The Appeal of Music and Dance 267
Opera 268
Types of Musical Theatre 269
The American Musical 271
Antecedents 271
The 1920s and 1930s: Musical Comedies 271
The 1920s and 1930s: Advances in Musicals 272
Musical Theatre of the 1940s and 1950s 274
Musicals from the 1960s through the 1980s 275
Musicals from 1990 to the Present 278
Summary 282
xiv Contents
Chapter 14 Contemporary Theatre in the United States 309
Nontraditional, Alternative Theatre 312
Happenings, Multimedia, and Environmental Theatre 313
Postmodernism 315
American Theatre Today: Traditional and Nontraditional 316
Theatre of Diversity 316
African American Theatre 317
Asian American Theatre 320
Latino-Latina Theatre 322
Native American Theatre 323
Feminist Theatre and Women Playwrights 325
Gay and Lesbian Theatre 328
Political Theatre 330
Performance Art 331
Today’s Theatre: Global, Eclectic, Diverse 332
Summary 334
Plays that may be Read Online 335
Glossary 338
Notes 346
Index 347
Contents xv
Preface
xvi
• Dynamics of Drama features illustrate some of the more challenging theatre con-
cepts in a way that is easier for beginning students to understand and apply as
audience members. For example, topics include realism and nonrealism (Chapter 1),
and climactic and episodic forms (Chapter 7).
• NEW Play Links, a feature in The Theatre Experience, 13th edition, allows you to
read many of the plays mentioned in the text online. Any play referenced in the
text that can be found online is highlighted in blue typeface when first mentioned
in a chapter. Should you want to read one of these plays, you can refer to the list
that precedes the Glossary at the end of the book and find its URL. Titles are listed
alphabetically.
The plays can be used to highlight key concepts and to complement the discussions
found in The Theatre Experience, 13th edition. In addition, many of the new Think-
ing about Theatre and Experiencing Theatre exercises can also be supplemented and
enhanced with examples from these plays.
Preface xvii
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xviii Preface
Selected Chapter-by-Chapter Changes
Chapter 1 begins with a new section on the great diversity of contemporary theatre,
first in terms of the variety of places in which theatre can be viewed: from the largest
auditoriums or Broadway houses to regional, college, and community theatres, as
well as small, informal spaces, and second, in terms of the extraordinary range of
subject matter as well as ethnic and cultural material. The chapter then turns to the
unique experience of live theatre that differentiates it from all other media. In this
and all subsequent chapters, when a play is mentioned for the first time, it is set in
blue type to signal its inclusion in the new “Play Links” feature. This indicates that
the script of the play can be retrieved by means of a URL, which is provided at the
end of the text.
Chapter 2 retains the core content about audience involvement, including
background information and preparation that makes attending the theatre more
meaningful and enjoyable. The chapter’s coverage of critics and reviewers has been
extensively updated, now including new discussions of bloggers, social media’s impact
on audiences, and audience behavior.
Chapter 3 has a new Dynamics of Drama feature, “Popular Performance Spaces,”
which extends the coverage of venues where live performances take place. Material on
stage spaces has been edited and updated.
Chapter 4 features minor updates to keep the content as current and engaging as
possible. Information on the training, preparation, history, and techniques of acting
have been retained from previous editions.
Chapter 5 expands anew the auteur director and the postmodern director. The
material on the artistic director and managing director of nonprofit theatres has been
revised.
Chapter 6 features a new introductory section on the playwright’s role in the
creation of a script, explaining the playwright’s relationship to ancient storytellers.
Also, information has been added on the context in which the playwright works, the
demands and challenges of developing a script, and the unique requirements of a
work for the stage.
Chapter 8 has been substantially edited and revised. There is a new opening section
on the mood, tone, and point of view of a production that are conveyed to an
audience in the opening moments of a production.
Chapter 12 features a new discussion of recent trends in stage musicals, together with
up-to-date examples.
Chapter 13 features refined listings of playwrights and plays, updated with the latest
names and productions from around the world. Material that was previously in
Chapter 1 has been incorporated into this chapter.
Preface xix
TEACHING AND LEARNING RESOURCES
Support for Instructors
The Theatre Experience offers a wealth of supplemental materials to aid both students
and instructors. The Online Learning Center at www.mhhe.com/wilsonte13e is a
resource for students and faculty. Instructors’ resources are password-protected and
include:
• Instructor’s Manual.
• Test Bank.
• EZ Test Computerized Test Bank: McGraw-Hill’s EZ Test is a flexible, easy-to-use
electronic testing program that allows instructors to create tests from specific items
in the text. It accommodates a wide range of question types, and instructors may
add their own questions. Multiple versions of the test can be created, and any test
can be exported for use with course management systems. The program is available
for Windows and Macintosh.
Student Resources
The Online Learning Center at www.mhhe.com/wilsonte13e is a robust tool for stu-
dents, providing a wide range of material to enhance learning and to simplify studying.
Resources are keyed directly to this edition and include the following:
• Chapter-by-chapter quizzes for testing students.
• Essay Quizzes that can be e-mailed directly to instructors.
• The Theatre Goer’s Guide is an excellent introduction to the art of attending and
critiquing a play. This guide will assist students in everything from making theatre
reservations and knowing when to applaud to evaluating a performance and doing
web research.
• Detailed explanations and examples of Major Theatrical Forms and Movements.
• Synopses of Plays.
• Select Bibliography.
Craft your teaching resources to match the way you teach! With McGraw-Hill Create,
www.mcgrawhillcreate.com, you can easily rearrange chapters, combine material
from other content sources, and quickly upload content you have written, like your
course syllabus or teaching notes. Find the content you need in Create by searching
through thousands of leading McGraw-Hill textbooks. Arrange your book to fit your
teaching style. Create even allows you to personalize your book’s appearance by select-
ing the cover and adding your name, school, and course information. Order a Create
book and you’ll receive a complimentary print review copy in 3–5 business days or a
complimentary electronic review copy (eComp) via e-mail in about one hour. Go to
www.mcgrawhillcreate.com today and register. Experience how McGraw-Hill Create
empowers you to teach your students your way.
xx Preface
Anthology of Plays
Anthology of Living Theater (978-0-07-351413-0) offers 18 plays for use with The Theatre Experience.
CourseSmart ebook
The Theatre Experience is available as an eTextbook at www.CourseSmart.com. At CourseSmart, students can take
advantage of significant savings off the cost of a print textbook, reduce their impact on the environment, and gain
access to powerful web tools for student learning. You can view CourseSmart eTextbooks online or download
them to a computer. CourseSmart eTextbooks allow students to do full text searches, add highlighting and notes,
and share notes with classmates. Visit www.CourseSmart.com to learn more and try a sample chapter.
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
First and foremost I wish to thank Professor Alvin Goldfarb for his invaluable contribution to this edition of The
Theatre Experience. My coauthor on Living Theatre and Theatre: The Lively Art, Al’s ideas, his research and writing
skills, his originality and imagination, and his persistence have been indispensible in completing this, perhaps the
most audience-oriented and insightful version of The Theatre Experience of the entire series.
I first developed many of the ideas in this book while teaching a course in Introduction to Theatre at Hunter
College of the City University of New York. To my former students and colleagues at Hunter, I express my con-
tinuing appreciation. Also, to those professors and other experts who have contributed importantly to prior ver-
sions, I express my deep appreciation. They include Alexis Greene, Naomi Stubbs, Susan Tenneriello, Donny
Levit, and Frank Episale. In addition, I express my gratitude to Professor Jeff Entwistle for his prodigious contri-
bution to the chapters on design, and I also thank Professor Laura Pulio for her helpful suggestions on acting. A
special thanks also to Professor Oliver W. Gerland and his fellow teachers at the University of Colorado. I would
also like to thank Professor Scott Walters, University of North Carolina-Asheville, for developing the first teacher
and student study guide materials for Theatre Experience and Professor John Poole, Illinois State University, for
his revisions that are now found on the On Line Learning Center.
James Bell, Grand Valley State University
Scott Boyd, Middle Tennessee State University
Chris Gray, Illinois Central College
Richard Hansen, Middle Tennessee State University
Ethan Krupp, Bloomsburg University of Pennsylvania
Jeannine Russell, Wichita State University
Through twenty-six editions of my three textbooks published by McGraw-Hill, my colleague Inge King, the
incredible photography expert, has discovered every photograph that has appeared in every edition of every text,
including this edition of The Theatre Experience. Inge is amazing as well as being an irreplaceable colleague. As I
pointed out previously, through the years Inge has discovered thousands upon thousands of photographs from
which she has helped select the ones that make up our extraordinary illustration program. There is no way ade-
quately to acknowledge her taste, persistence, abiding loyalty to the project, and her creativity.
At McGraw-Hill I express my gratitude to the following editors:
William Glass Lisa Bruflodt
Sarah Remington Jennifer Pickel
Dawn Groundwater Laurie Janssen
Thomas Sigel Brenda Rolwes
Kelly Odom Jenny Bartell
Preface xxi
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The Theatre Experience
T H I R T E E N T H E D I T I O N
1 The Audience
THE AUDIENCE
The basic encounter in the theatre
is the exchange, the chemistry, the
electricity between the audience
and the actors performing on
stage. The presence of the
audience sets live theatre apart
from all other forms of dramatic
entertainment. Here the audience
is gathered for a production of
Treasure Island at the Colorado
Shakespeare Festival in the Mary
Rippon Outdoor Theatre on the
University of Colorado, Boulder,
campus. (© Steve Mohlenkamp/
stevemohlenkamp.com)
2
Another random document with
no related content on Scribd:
"I'm going to shut you up, if you don't do it yourself," Vicenzo
promised. He secured Ranjit beside Joachim and then started tying
Henry's wrists to the pipe.
"Be careful what you do to the sweeper, Vicenzo," Henry begged.
"Ranjit was telling me how dangerous it is. If anything causes the
velocity to drop, we'll fall on Saturn."
"You think I'm stupid? That's the way with anything in an orbit. The
closer to a planet, the faster you've got to go. Bring the girl, Aziz."
CHAPTER III
Morna struggled and kicked the spacesuits while Vicenzo tied her
next to Henry. Aziz said, "You think there's really a chance of us
fallin'? I'd hate to plop in all that methane."
"No," said Vicenzo. "Old man, where's the control room? We're
moving this whole station with the two ships clamped on."
"Hadn't we oughta put some water in our tanks, in case we gotta
scram quick?" Aziz asked. "They're about empty."
Ranjit chuckled. "You'll have to wait four hours to tank up. I just got
the heater going a while ago. There's an SG ship due in soon. You
better give up."
"You're lying in strings!" Vicenzo said. "You must have fuel for the
sweeper's motors. Where's the control room?"
"I ain't saying."
"He'll tell," Aziz gloated, raising his knife.
"We can find it quicker," Vicenzo said and turned away. Aziz followed
him through the door.
"What?" Joachim muttered. "Where? The gangsters!" He stared
around the compartment and cried, "There is one! Henry is a
gangster! You are also, Ranjit! I have long suspected that the
destruction of the Rings of Saturn could only be the work of
gangsters! No one—Morna! Are you injured?"
"No," Morna blubbered. "Stay away from me, Henry!" One of her
wings of black and yellow hair had fallen over her face.
"Sorry," Henry said, blushing and moving his legs. "I didn't notice
which way I was drifting."
Joachim said, "Where are the other gangsters? Have they gone to
steal my ship? It is rented! The SPRS would never recover if we had
to pay for the ship!"
"Let's figure some way to get loose," Ranjit suggested. "Those
fellows won't find the control room out there. No motors, anyhow, but
all they've got to do is wait till enough fuel melts and use their ship to
move the sweeper. Think how that'd look on my record."
"You said an SG ship would be here in a few minutes," Morna
objected.
"I was just telling them that. There's no ship due for two days."
"You actually told a falsehood?" Morna gasped.
Ranjit said, "When you get to be my age, you'll find you can do lots
of things they didn't teach in school. How'd you clinch up with two
fellows like them, Henry? They're space happy, both of them. Didn't
you have no education?"
"Not much," Henry said. "Me and my parents were shipwrecked in
the Asteroids when I was only ten. Mother tried to teach me Honesty,
and Morality, and all the rest, but it didn't take very well. We were
there eight years before we were picked up. They put me in school,
then, with a bunch of kids. I didn't like it, so I skipped and worked in
the mines on Titan. Then I got mixed up with Vicenzo and Aziz. This
is the first job I've pulled with them."
"At least you changed your mind and tried to stop it," Ranjit said,
tugging at his bonds.
"The snips!" Henry exclaimed. "There's a pair of snips in my side
pocket. Maybe you can reach them, Ranjit, if I—No, they're on the
wrong side. Morna, will you try to get them if I can put my, uh, pocket
next to your hand?"
"Stay away from me," Morna said.
"You've got to." Henry braced his feet against the deck and pushed,
bending his knees as his weightless body flew into the air. He
twisted, and the side of his left leg struck the ceiling. Shoving with his
toe, he forced his contorted body back toward the pipe. "There!" he
grunted. "Can you reach them?"
Morna said, "I don't know. My wrists are tied so tight." Her hand
touched Henry's hip and sent him swinging in the opposite direction.
His legs stopped across Ranjit's chest. The old man lowered his
head and butted Henry back toward Morna.
"Oh, get out of my face!" Morna complained.
Henry lay against the ceiling with his legs bent, his back bowed, and
his left elbow pressed against his lower ribs. Morna's hand fluttered
at his pocket. "I've got—No, it's a screwdriver," she said. "Now, I've
got the snips!"
"Don't drop them," Henry pleaded. He thrust his feet back to the
deck. "Try to cut the line around my wrist. Ow! That's my hand!"
"Be brave!" Morna jeered nervously. "Now it's under the cord. I cut
one!"
Henry twisted his wrist in the loosened cord and pulled his left hand
free. He said, "Thanks. Give me the snips."
Morna said, "Promise to cut me down first. I don't want to be tied
with you loose."
Henry snatched the snips from her and cut the line binding his right
hand. Morna said, "Gangster trick."
"Hurry up, Henry," Ranjit said. "Those fellows will be coming back."
Henry released Ranjit and Joachim. "Cut me loose!" Morna yelled.
"Not so loud," Henry said, freeing her. "Go up in the control room,
Ranjit. You told me you still had flywheel steering. If it won't hurt you,
you can make them think you're decelerating. It'll confuse them, at
least."
"Yeah," Ranjit chuckled, "that's a bright idea. I was about to think of it
myself."
Henry said, "Morna, you go with Ranjit. Joachim, you stay with me,
and we'll waylay them. We'll find something for weapons."
Ranjit pulled the sandwich bunk down on its rods, crouched on the
bunk, and pushed open the overhead hatch. Joachim said, "I do not
intend to engage in a brawl with gangsters. Come, Morna, let us take
our chances in our own ship. We—"
"I hear them out there!" Henry said.
Joachim squeaked, bounded to the bunk, and sprang through the
hatch. "Bet he bumped his head," Ranjit hoped. "Up you go, Morna.
Strap yourself to a couch."
Morna climbed on the bunk and through the hatch. Ranjit followed,
"It's a trick," Morna said. "He'll be alone with his gangster friends."
"There's a set of spanner wrenches right there in the net," Ranjit
said, pointing. "There's a roll of wire over yonder." He closed the
hatch.
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